. >> reporter: 74-year-old it porthee patten raised her seven children in this south los angeles house. >> i wanted to live and enjoy my home, and it was taken away. >> reporter: she was living alone after her husband died in 2007. she says that's when bank of america approached her with a new mortgage and a $110,000 home equity line of credit. she didn't understand her payments would jump $1200 a month. patton and her bank could not work up on the a lone modification. she lost her home to foreclosure. you feel you were cheated? >> i was cheated. i was cheated out of my home. >> reporter: patton is applying to the federal independent foreclose review program. the government ordered 14 big banks to take part in the program after it was discovered they improperly processed foreclosure paperwork, or made other misrepresentations about mortgage terms. harmed homeowners can be compensated up to $125,000. but critics, like new jersey senator robert menendez complain the bank controls the review process. >> who they choose areoften lawyers and consultants who have worked with the bank before,